Distribution network system for products and information

ABSTRACT

The invention is a distribution network system of automatic dispensers of products and information interconnected with one another and with at least a host computer, where homogeneous groups of dispensers are suitable for exchanging information, by means of said host computer, with each dispenser connected with it and with the network node that is connected with each host computer by means of telephone lines and is provided with a transceiver section suitable for getting through to each dispenser by radio, through an antenna or a communication satellite.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a distribution network system of dispensers ofproducts and services, more particularly a network of dispensersinterconnected with each other through a telematic connectionaccomplished by means of a telephone or radio line and of acommunication satellite system or by radio.

Automatic dispensers of products are known which are operated by theuser by means of coins or credit cards or electronic cards.

One of the most widespread automatic dispenser is for distributingbanknotes,

This machine is stocked with banknotes to be dispensed; the machine isprovided with an electronic device that is able to read the magneticcard inserted by the user and to communicate with the master computerthat checks the electronic card inserted.

After checking, the machine enables the user to require a sum varyingwithin a minimum and a maximum fixed in advance. Once the user haschosen, a device counting the banknotes starts working and subsequentlya dispenser conveys the selected amount of money to the outlet of themachine.

Similar machines are described in GB-A-2110450 which discloses a systemfor performing transactions by one or more dispenser units, withoutgiving information about the availability of money in other dispenserwhen in the dispenser used the money is not available.

GB-A-2254469 discloses a multiple user-operated data-controlled machineconnected to a common remote interactive data store whereby data foroperational use by an individual machine is retrieved from the remotestore.

Other types of less complex machines are conceived so that by insertingan electronic card or coins a certain product can be selected. Theproduct is chosen by means of a keyboard and is then distributed througha special drawer. One of these machines is the coffee machine or theconfectionery dispenser.

In the case of all these types of machines, if they don't have therequired product available, they cannot comply with the user's requestand neither can they inform the user about the nearest machine that cansatisfy such a request.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to go beyond the limits of the automaticdispensers that have been described below.

One of the purposes to be achieved is the implementation of aninterconnected distribution network of automatic dispensers, so that ifthe product the user wants to get from a certain dispenser isn'tavailable there, the user can be informed about the location of thenearest automatic dispenser where the required product is available.

Another aim to be achieved is the possibility of distributing differentproducts, even of different sizes and belonging to different marketingcategories, by means of the automatic dispenser that is the object ofthe invention.

Another purpose to be achieved is to carry out an interconnection amongautomatic dispensers so that every automatic dispenser can inform theuser about the possibility of finding the required products that are notavailable where they have been requested and can also give other kindsof information, both by asking the main storage of the computer thatcontrols the interconnected distribution network and by means of thelinkage with Data Banks, a linkage that is accomplished on-line by theuser and is payed for by directly debiting a credit card or by using aprepaid card.

Another aim to be achieved is to enable the manager of theinterconnected network to bring up to date the stock of each product ineach automatic dispenser on real-time and also to update the prices ofthe products, when necessary. A further aim is to implement theautomatic dispenser belonging to the network so that it can also takeback the articles hired by the user, such as videocassettes, CD or otherthings, and at the same time carry out the necessary accountingoperations like the cancellation of the item from the user's stock andthe record in the stock of the dispenser.

All these aims and others that will be better explained later have beenachieved by a method for dispensing products contained in automaticdispenser belonging to a distribution network system.

According to the invention, each automatic dispenser is connected,preferably through telephone linkage, with a host computer that examinesthe requests coming from each dispenser when the latter is not able tocomply with requests of products that are not available or when the userasks for information instead of products.

Once the host computer has received the piece of information from theautomatic dispenser, it gets through to the network node by means of thetelephone line and the network node transmits the whole information to acommunication satellite. In turn the satellite transmits the informationto teach automatic dispenser of the network, which receives it by radiothrough a parabolic antenna. Once the information has been examined, theanswer is released from the automatic dispensers the other way round,namely from the host computer connected with the dispensers to the node,then again to the satellite which transmits the information to thedispenser that has asked the question.

Owing to the interconnection among the individual dispensers and also tothe fact that each dispenser can be connected with external networks bymeans of the communication satellite, it is obvious that each dispensercan work as a terminal for the on-line linkage with Data Banks.Consequently, the user will be allowed to require information which willfirst be dealt with by the host computer and then transmitted by thenode to a host computer exterior to the network through the satellite, ahost computer that will be able to supply the required information, forexample, concerning market quotations, foreign currencies and the like.

According to the invention, each dispenser will also be able to takeback the articles hired by the user, since it is conceived so that themeans for dispensing and taking the products can operate even inversely,namely they can take up the object placed by the user in a given area,which can also be the dispensing area itself, and put the object in thestore of the dispenser again, at the same time loading its electronicmemory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further distinctive features and peculiarities of the invention inquestion will be better highlighted in the description of anapplication, chosen among many, of the network and of the methodemployed to accomplish it, illustrated in the attached table in aschematic way:

FIG. 1 shows the interconnection among the automatic dispensers ofproducts and information and the interconnecting network;

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the interconnection among the dispensersbelonging to the network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Request for a product available in the dispenser

With reference to the FIG. 1 the numbers 11, 12 and 13 represent theautomatic dispensers belonging to a first group, referred to as a wholewith A, and connected by means of a telephone line, for example withprotocol X28, with a host computer, referred to with 10, which is ableto process the information transmitted by each of the automaticdispensers. Likewise, the automatic dispensers 41, 41 and 43 areconnected by means of telephone lines, with protocol X28 too, with ahost computer 40.

Each of the automatic dispensers, which will not be described in detailsince they are substantially made up following known technology, has inits inside one or more stores consisting in hive-shaped or organizedspaces suitable for containing the products to be dispensed. Said spacescan be of different sizes or can be vary in such a way as to holddifferent products, like, for example, videocassettes, roll films,compact-disks or others. Each automatic dispenser is provided with meansfor taking each product, which are operated by the choice of the userwho, upon acceptance after inserting the identification card, can choosethe products to select on a video screen.

The choice of the products can be made by the user in different ways,for example by means of a keyboard, of a joy-stick or of a touch-screen.

Once the computer inside the automatic dispenser has received the pieceof information concerning the product to be taken, said computercompares it to that existing in its storage and transmits the orderconcerning the position in which the suitable mean has to be placed inorder to take the selected product.

This way the means for taking the product positions itself so as to facethe compartment out of which the product has to be taken and by means ofclasping items, such as pliers, the product is taken and subsequentlyconveyed to the outlet of the automatic dispenser. At this point themeans for identifying the selected product and the means for readingsuch identification go into operation so as to report that a unit of acertain product has been taken and to cancel the presence of such aproduct from the store. The operation ends when the product is conveyedinto the distribution drawer of the automatic dispenser, upon debitingthe operation to the user's account by credit card or upon thewithdrawal of the same amount from a prepaid card.

The operation described above concerns the choice and the taking of aproduct chosen by the user and available in the automatic dispenseritself. This kind of operation cannot substantially be distinguishedfrom other known operations. The situation changes if the user asks fora product that is not available in the automatic dispenser where therequest is made, or if the user asks for information instead ofproducts. These two different cases will be dealt with below.

Request for a product not available in the dispenser where the requestis made

If the user, who, for example, interacts on the automatic dispenser 11,asks for a product that is not available in said automatic dispenser,the storage and processing systems present in the automatic dispenser 11transfers the piece of information to the host computer, referred towith 10, through the telephone line, referred to with 110, with protocolX28. The information is dealt with and transferred, through thetelephone line 100 with protocol X25, from the host computer 10 to thenetwork node 20. The means 21 for transmission by radio pass the pieceof information from the network node 20 to the satellite 30. Thesatellite 30 passes the information on by transmitting it to all theparaboloids, both to those of the users'group A, namely 111, 112, 113,and to the paraboloids relevant to the automatic dispensers of group B,namely to paraboloid 411 of dispenser 41, paraboloid 421 of dispenser 42and paraboloid 431 of dispenser 43.

If one or more automatic dispensers have the required product available,they transfer the information back to the host computer with which theyare connected through a telephone line and from each of these computersto the satellite 30, which transmits the piece of information by etherto the dispenser 11, from which the request came.

The screen of the automatic dispenser 11 displays the informationregarding the availability of the product: for example, it can indicatethat the nearest dispenser in which the user can find the requiredproduct is in a certain street of the same town or in the nearest town.If the user confirms the booking, the product is booked and the user cango to the dispenser 12, for example, in order to take what has beenreported to be available there.

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the interconnection network where the networknode 20 is equipped with a radio antenna 25 that transmits directly tothe antennas 101, 102 and 103 of the dispensers of the first group andto the antennas 141, 142, 143 of the dispensers of the second group.This kind of connection is suitable for interconnecting dispensersscattered on a comparatively small geographical area.

One of the obvious advantages ensuing from the interconnectionaccomplished by means of a network of automatic dispensers contrivedaccording to the invention is the fact that, with particular referenceto automatic dispensers located in different places in the same town, itis possible to have a minimum quantity of goods in store andconsequently to optimize the quantity of products available withoutincreasing storage expenses. Furthermore, it is thus possible to complywith the user's request in the best way.

Request for information from the user

The intercommunicating network of automatic dispensers that is theobject of the present invention can be used to accomplish thedistribution not only of products, but also of information.

For example, information regarding data could be available, held in theData Banks belonging to host computers that are not part of the network.

In this case the request made, for example, by the automatic dispenser12 through the telephone channel 120 reaches the host computer 10, whichdeals with the piece of the information and transmits it to the networknode 20 with protocol X25 through line 100. The host computer 10 isprovided with a modem, by means of which it can get in connection withthe network node 20 through the telephone line 100; further, throughsaid node it can connect itself with the Data Banks that areinterconnected with the network node by means of the communicationsatellite 30 that communicates with the host computer and the modem.

This way from any automatic dispenser any kind of information can berequired, both belonging to the internal Data Banks of the host computer10 and to the external Data Banks that are connected by the hostcomputer 10 by modem, as stated above.

Naturally, once the information has been delivered, the transaction endsand the user is charged with the service: the charging operation isdisplayed on the screen of the automatic dispenser 12 or is printed, ifthe dispenser is provided with a printer.

As it is clear from what has been described up to now, theinterconnection that takes place by means of a network of automaticdispensers able to exchange information with one another, both withinthe same subgroup and with other subgroups through the network node andby radio, antenna or satellite, optimizes the distribution of theproducts and allows the managers of the network to know the wholesituation of each dispenser of the network at any moment and thereforeto restock the dispensers with the products of which they are short, ifnecessary.

Moreover, the network system that is the object of the invention alsoallows to direct the user to the nearby dispensers, if the dispenser isshort of the required product or it allows the user to book the item heis interested in.

Besides, the information is an additional service distributed by thenetwork by means of the interconnection of the automatic dispensers withData Banks that can be both inside or outside the system.

We claim:
 1. A method for dispensing products contained in automaticdispensers belonging to a distribution network systems, wherein saiddispensers comprise:A) a plurality of automatic dispensers each of whichincludes:organized spaces suitable for containing the products to bedispensed; means for taking a selected product and conveying it out ofthe store; a system for the positioning of said means; tools fixed tothe conveying means, suitable for taking hold of the selected productand for releasing it; reading means for the identification of theselected product; primary storage systems for storing and processing theinformation regarding the stored items; secondary storage systems formanaging the information received from the user or from the network withwhich the dispenser is connected; means for the identification ofmagnetic cards or semiconductor cards; means for connecting eachdispenser and a host computer; wireless means for connecting eachdispenser to a host computer; means for displaying information; meansfor printing the information required; B) at least a host computerconnecting said plurality of automatic dispensers, each of which beingconnected to a network node by telecommunication means, said methodcomprising:a step in which a dispenser checks if a user's card isenabled to take products; a step in which the products that can beselected are displayed on the video screen of said dispenser; a step inwhich the user chooses the product he wants; a step in which thedispenser checks if the product is available and, if so, takes it anddelivers it to the user; characterized in that said steps are followedby:a step in which the request is passed from a dispenser to otherdispensers connected with the network by means of the host computerthrough a communication satellite, if the required product is notavailable in said dispenser; a step in which the answer concerning theplace where the required product is available is displayed and/orprinted, said piece of information concerning the place where therequired product is available being transmitted by the communicationsatellite to the dispenser from which the request came; a step in whichthe cost of the product is debited, if the product has been delivered.2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that thedistribution network system comprises information services which aredistributed by the following steps:a step in which the dispenser checksif the user's card is enabled to receive information; a step in whichthe offered services are displayed on the screen; a step in which theuser chooses the service he is interested in; a step in which thedispenser is linked by cable to the host computer with which it isconnected; a step in which the request is processed by the host computerand the storage files belonging to said computer are checked; a step inwhich the answers coming from the remote host are transmitted by cablefrom the host computer to the dispenser; said answers are distributedthrough the satellite to the network node and subsequently to the hostcomputer to which the dispenser that has made the question belongs; astep in which the required piece of information is displayed andprinted.